Page 7 of Forever Yours

The stairwell was filled with excited chatter, strangers greeting one another and becoming friends by the time they got to the next floor. There was talk about which frats to pledge to or which sororities had the hottest girls. Apparently, there was a major party happening on campus Monday night to kick off the first semester. As soon as I heard which fraternity, I smiled. The frat being talked about was Fallon’s. He was a legacy brother because of his dad and wouldn’t have to rush like a normal person. CU wasn’t going to know what hit it. I’d give it a week before Fallon ruled the entire campus as the King of CU.

“Thanks,” I said to the guy who held the stairwell door open for me to pass through since my hands were full carrying a giant moving box.

“You’re welcome,” he replied. “Need any help?”

The guy was cute. Dark, mocha skin, brown eyes a shade darker than Ryder’s, and a ridge of chocolate-brown freckles that bridged his nose.

“Thanks again. I got it. I don’t have far to go anyway,” I replied, tilting my head toward my dorm room.

“I’m two doors down from you. I’m David.”

“Elijah,” I returned. “Nice to meet you.”

Those tawny brown eyes crinkled when he smiled. “You, too.”

My gaze briefly dropped to his ass as he walked down the hall. I was in a committed relationship, not blind. David was hot as hell. Not Julien hot, but I could appreciate a fine backside when I saw one.

Ryder and Jayson were moving into the condo Julien had been living in for the past month. It was a three-bedroom condominium about five minutes from campus. I dipped my chin to check my watch. I was supposed to meet up with the three of them later. Ryder wanted us to have a “family” dinner together in their new place, which meant delivery pizza if Jayson had his way. Julien was on a strict diet dictated by his team’s nutritionist. Lots of lean protein and carbohydrates for fuel. Over the last several weeks, I’d been boning up on my cooking skills, inventing new dishes that conformed to the foods Julien was allowed to eat. Dad was not a fan of being my self-appointed guinea pig, but he ate everything I made without complaint. Even liked some of the weird tofu dishes I came up with.

“Do you want your clothes hung in the closet or folded in the chest of drawers?” Dad asked as I walked into my dorm room.

He had my suitcase opened on the twin bed situated on the left side of the room. This small square space would be my home for the next year with some other guy I hadn’t met yet.

I peeked inside the foot-wide closet. “Uh… chest of drawers, I guess.”

Dropping the box filled with books I was carrying on the floor, I looked around the room. Fallon offered to pay for me to be in one of the newer dorms or get me into his frat, but I declined both. The frat house was a big hell no for obvious reasons. The former I didn’t feel comfortable about. Fallon had done so much for me already by getting me in to CU, and I refused to take advantage of his generosity.

Without a scholarship to help pay the way, I’d need to find a job. Dad was stuck paying alimony to Mom, so things were tight at home. Thank God North Carolina wasn’t a community property state. Mom did the right thing for once and ceded all marital property over to Dad.

I took the clothes Dad handed me and placed them in the top drawer of the dresser.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” he said, carefully re-folding a T-shirt like his life depended on it. I could hear the tears he was holding back by the waver in his voice.

Tearing up myself, I swallowed thickly and held my hand out for the shirt he folded and put it away. Dad turned and sat heavily on the end of the bed. The thing was tiny. I was a smidge shy of six feet, so knew it was going to be a tight fit.

Dad’s hazel eyes met mine, and he smiled. “You are destined for such great things, Elijah. This is the beginning of a whole new life. College is a big deal.”

Trying to lighten the mood, I rolled my eyes. “Are we having ‘the talk?’”

His bark of laughter filled the room. “I am being a bit overly cheesy, aren’t I?”

I joined him on the bed, and we wrapped our arms around each other’s shoulders.

“Nah. It’s a parent’s prerogative to get emotional on college move-in day.”

Dad’s broad chest vibrated with his chuckle, and he kissed the side of my head. “You are the greatest gift of my life, the best man I have ever known. You have such strength—” he tapped my chest “—and your heart is so damn big. I don’t tell you that I love you as often as I should, but I hope you know how much I do.”

Well, shit. I swiped at a wayward tear. “I love you, too.” Not wanting to ask but needing to know, I queried, “Did you talk to Mom?”

I hadn’t spoken to my mother since our brief two-minute conversation on my birthday. I hadn’t seen her for longer than that, not since the morning of New Year’s Eve.

“Yeah,” he quietly replied.

“And she’s not coming.” It wasn’t asked as a question.

He shook his head no.

It shouldn’t hurt. I should know better. But damn it, it did hurt. Inside my heart, I was still just a kid who wanted his mother to love him. How many times was it going to take for me to understand that was never going to happen?

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